RESTRUCTURING OF THE ROAD SECTOR

The Government of Uganda has established a Road Agency Formation Unit (RAFU), which is in fact an institution of transition towards the creation of a Road Agency/ Authority. The establishment of the road Agency or Authority will be subjected to a thorough and detailed study of the structure and functioning of the institution including the legal aspect. RAFU is currently involved in the rehabilitation of national roads. It is not involved in road maintenance. With the creation of the Agency or Authority scheduled for 2003, the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Communications shall only be playing a supervisory and regulatory role.

Since 1986, the Government of Uganda has developed a policy aimed at encouraging the development of a local road construction industry. The Ministry is encouraging the strengthening of the Uganda Association of construction firms. The Government is planning to have 90% of its financed works to be executed by private firms. It is also encouraging the utilization of local consultants for the supervision of road works and studies. Other countries have adopted similar policies.

In Rwanda, the legal notice No 14 bis/98 amended the legal notice No 20/89 of 11/09/1989, which established the national roads fund and indicated its resources. The new law changed the name of the fund, which is currently called ROAD MAINTENANCE FUND.

Resources of the fund include:

a. Road levy collected on fuel and gasoline;
b. Road tolls collected from foreign registered vehicles;
c. Axle levy ;
d. Fines imposed on overloaded vehicles;
e. Any fines resulting from traffic offences;
f. Contributions from the Government;
g. Grants from donors, which are intended for road maintenance.

The Road Maintenance Fund is managed by a Council composed of 9 members of which five represent the public sector while the other four represent the associations of the private sector established as follows:

• Association of Transporters of Goods
• Association of Transporters of Persons
• The Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Association of Importers of Petroleum Products.

The management council of the Roads Fund was established in May-June 1999.

Fund is planning to utilize the resources as follows:

i. 59% : Roads Department (Roads maintenance).
ii. 31% : Kigali Prefecture (Urban roads).
iii. 6% : Emergency works
iv. 6% : Management of the Fund.

The fund collects mainly its income from the levy imposed on fuel and gasoline.

In Burundi, former General Directorate of Roads has been split into two autonomous entities i.e. the Office of Roads and the Agency for Management of Equipment. Furthermore, an autonomous Roads Fund has been created to replace the current one whose management is jointly entrusted with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Works.

The Government of Kenya has established, Roads Board responsible for the coordination of all roads sector activities. The board is also responsible for the management of funds collected from road tolls and fuel levy, and provides advisory services to the Ministry on road policy issues.

The Board of Directors is composed of representatives from both the public and private sector. Among the 15 members, the majority including the chairman comes from the private sector. The allocation of resources from road tolls and levy is established as follows:

- Roads department : 57%
- Districts : 26.75%
- Constituencies : 13.25%
- KRB operations : 3%

The Board is also planning to substantially improve the administration and management of services involved in the operations of weighbridges.

Income from road tolls and levies was evaluated to be more than million US $ 100 for the financial year 2002/2003.

The Democratic Republic of Congo was the first member State to establish a Road Office which is a parastatal since the 1980s.